This week, I decided to focus on four species of Swallow. I know there are eight Swallow species in North America and 86 in the world, but I opted to focus on the species I had seen. Their split tail feathers are so synonymous with the birds that other species with split tails are named after them, such as swallow-tailed butterflies. They have streamlined bodies and are very acrobatic fliers, but they need to be, as they catch insects in flight! Swallows build mud nests, often on human-made structures, so some people view them as a nuisance. Many species are migratory, but none have ever been seen carrying coconuts.
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Enjoy!

Hirundo rustica
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When I moved into my apartment in Colorado, the manager apologized because there was a swallow’s nest on the light by my front door, and he said they weren’t allowed to remove it. I thanked him for NOT removing it because A) it is illegal to move/destroy an active bird nest, and B) what super fun neighbors! I named my WiFi “Swallows Nest” and embraced the role of auntie. I checked on them every day and watched the babies hatch, grow up, and fledge. I did feel the effects of being an empty-nester over the winter, but then, before I knew it, they were back!

Now that I am in Kansas, we have a lovely couple who have constructed a nest at the Zoo near where my building is, so I get to watch them every day. They are between broods at the moment.

Barn Swallows are the most common species of Swallow in the world, found on every continent except Antarctica. They breed in the Northern Hemisphere and overwinter (which is actually summer there) in the Southern Hemisphere. Barn Swallows used to be cliff nesters, but now they nest almost exclusively on human-built structures. The one exception is a colony in the California Channel Islands that still nests on cliffs. Next time I am out there, I need to look for them!

Stelgidopteryx serripennis
 
I encountered Northern Rough-winged Swallows darting and banking over Malibu Creek. This species is typically found above bodies of water, hunting insects. I could watch these aerial acrobats for hours.

The Northern Rough-winged Swallow has tiny hooks on the leading edge of their wing feathers, which is what gives them this name. I have never been close enough to one of these birds myself.

Unlike many other species of swallows, they do not make mud nests. They build their nests in crevices out of grass and twigs. However, these seemingly simple nests can reach 40 inches long!

These Swallows breed across North America and spend winter in Mexico and Central America. Next time you are near a body of water, look up and you may see these agile birds catching lunch!

Tachycineta thalassina
 
I will never forget the first time I remember seeing Violet-green Swallows. I was visiting Bodie State Park in California.

Side note: if you haven’t been there, go. It is an awesome mining ghost town, and I’m not just biased because my great-great-grandmother taught school there.

I noticed some mud nests on the side of a building and saw adult Swallows darting in and out of the nests, feeding their young. I stood there watching, transfixed. I had never seen swallows this color before! I waited, hoping to get a great shot of a parent at the nest. I have no idea how long I was there trying to get a photo. Suddenly, a ranger came out of the building asking if they could help me. Unbeknownst to me, this was the rangers’ lodging house, and I was standing there taking tons of photos like some kind of creepy stalker! I, completely mortified, pointed out the swallows’ nests. The ranger seemed to understand, but also gave the impression they didn’t want me to continue to stand there taking pictures.  I moved on, looking for an abandoned mine shaft I could crawl into and die.

Violet-green Swallows, along with being found in Bodie, also range across Western North America from Alaska to Central America. Migrating to breed in the northern area of their range, and over-wintering in the tropical climates of Mexico down to Costa Rica. Like Northern Rough-winged Swallows, they usually feed around bodies of water.
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I’ve included some of the photos I took on that fateful day below. You can decide if they were worth the embarrassment!

Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
 
I probably have more experience with Cliff Swallows than any other Swallow species. We used to treat orphaned babies at California Wildlife Center. Once they fledged, we would need to train them to catch food on-the-wing. This involved holding a mealworm up with a pair of hemostats (kind of like forceps) and waiting for a bird to fly by and grab it. Here is a post about it.
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There are a lot of canyons in Southern California, so it makes sense that Angelinos would see a lot of this species. As their name suggests, Cliff Swallows build their mud nests on the sides of cliffs. However, they are not above building their nests on highway overpasses.

Cliff Swallows have a longer migration than the last two species I talked about. They breed in North America, from Alaska through Mexico, and over-winter in South America. Like other swallow species, they hunt insects, but will often fly at higher elevations than other species.

I hope you enjoyed this look at some of our North American Swallow species. Let me know if you have any suggestions for other feature weeks!

Penstemon Sp.
 
Flowers in the Penstemon genus are some of the few I can identify right away. They usually have tall flower stalks with long, tubular flowers which are often busy with pollinators. I have been lucky enough to find native Penstemon everywhere I have lived, but that is because it is the largest genus of plants native to North America at more than 280 species!

I learned they are also called beardtongues due to a hairy, tongue-like structure called a staminode, which sticks out of the plant. It is a non-reproductive part of the flower’s anatomy that scientists believe helps direct pollinators to the nectar and, subsequently, the areas containing pollen and pollen receptors.  

Penstemon have literally hundreds of common names, and that is just counting the native species. Cultivated Penstemon are very popular with gardeners. They come in almost any color imaginable and will attract butterflies, bees (honey and bumble), hummingbirds, and any number of other pollinators.

One of the most common garden species is the Foxglove (Penstemon digitalis). As their scientific name suggests, this plant is where we get the heart medication digitalis. In larger doses, it also makes an effective poison, although I do not recommend testing this out! There are numerous historical instances, and it was used as a murder weapon by Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers.

I love these flowers. Even the native plants in the wild come in some of the most spectacular colors! My favorites, however, are always the ones with bumble butts sticking out of them. 

Bassariscus astutus

Did you know there is a mammal native to North America called the Ringtail? I'd bet more people know about Ringtail Lemurs (thanks in large part to the Madagascar movies) than the Ringtail.

They are relatives of racoons and are named after their long black and white striped tail. Ringtails live in rocky areas not far from water and are incredible climbers. They are nocturnal and have excellent eyesight and hearing. Like raccoons, they are omnivores and will eat just about anything that will fit in their mouths. Ringtails have a broad range across the Western United States and Northwestern Mexico, but they are very VERY difficult to spot.

I can’t remember the first time I learned about Ringtails. It might have been when I was living in Arizona, but then it might have been earlier. The first time I saw one in human care was at an event put on by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. It was much smaller than I had expected. I figured they would be closer in size to a Raccoon or Coati, but they are more like the size of a squirrel.

There were rumors they lived at Malibu Creek State Park, but I never met anyone who had seen one. Someone at some point had, so the legend stuck. Apparently, they also live in Kansas. Maybe one of these days I’ll hike down a rocky canyon and see one, but I doubt it. I’d probably just break my ankle and have nothing to show for it. That would be an awkward conversation with the EMTs. “I was looking for a Ringtail.” “You mean a Ring-tailed Lemur? They live in Madagascar!”

Sigh.

Pituophis catenifer
 
Growing up, I was taught to fear of snakes because we were always out hiking and camping, and I’m sure my parents didn’t want me trying to befriend a rattlesnake. I tried this with a bee when I was five and, not surprisingly, ended up being stung. I’m sorry bee. I just loved you too much.

As much as I feared them, the snake Zoobook was my absolute favorite. I loved seeing all the different kinds of snakes there were. I learned more about snakes and began to appreciate them. Once I began working for animal organizations, I often had to hold snakes and learned about how different species have different temperaments. Arizona Rosy Boas are feisty, Garter Snakes are fickle, and Hognose Snakes are rather docile. My favorite snake soon became the Gopher Snake.

Gopher Snakes, sometimes called Bull Snakes, can reach up to nine feet long! They are relatively mellow, calmly moving out of the way if you encounter them on the trail. They have adapted to a number of environments and are found throughout most of North America.

Their primary defense is that they kind of look like rattlesnakes. Gopher Snakes are non-venomous, unlike rattlesnakes, but they have similar markings. When threatened, Gopher Snakes will flatten out their heads to resemble the diamond-shaped head of a rattlesnake and shake their tail in dry leaves to sound like a rattle. Gopher Snakes are preyed upon by raptors, foxes, and coyotes, so some form of defense, even if it is cosplay, is necessary.

Gopher Snakes are great to have around. They eat small rodents, preventing populations from getting out of control. And, as I mentioned before, they are harmless. That doesn’t mean they won’t bite you if you try and pick them up, but if you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. They can be injured by getting stuck in bird netting or trapped on sticky traps. I’ve seen a few come in for care when I worked in wildlife rehabilitation.
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So, if you suffer from Ophidiophobia or a fear of snakes, I highly recommend learning more about snakes and what makes them awesome. Gopher Snakes are a great gateway snake to learning to love these long, low-lying creatures!

Asclepias viridis
 
I had the good fortune to participate in a wildflower walk hosted by the Friends of Konza Prairie. I saw loads of beautiful flowers, but one stood out – the Spider Milkweed. It looked like something from another planet! The flowers were green, but they had a purple five-pointed star center. They are too cool!

Spider Milkweed possesses the same quality as other milkweeds where the sap is toxic. It is also a host plant for Monarch Butterflies. It is a true prairie plant, found in the Great Plains, no further north than Nebraska, and south to Texas and Florida. It is not a super showy plant, you almost need to look for it, but that’s what I think makes it so special.
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The Spider Milkweed is only one more example of all the magic nature has to offer if you look!

Antrostomus carolinensis
 
The first time I heard a Chuck-Will ’s-Widow, I didn’t realize I was hearing a bird. I kept hearing a whirring sound through my open window at night and thought my neighbors had some machinery running or something. When I finally got up to investigate, I realized it might be an animal and tried my Merlin app. Up popped Chuck-Will’s-Widow immediately. I had never even heard of this bird, even though I was familiar with other species of the Nightjar family. We had treated Common Poorwills and Lesser Nighthawks when I worked in wildlife rehabilitation. I had been lucky enough to see a Common Nighthawk while camping in Colorado, and had often heard of Whip-Poor-Wills, but just not this species.

Nightjars are nocturnal, usually ground-dwelling birds that look like they have tiny beaks until they open their mouths. It is like their whole head hinges in half and their mouths are enormous! While these giant mouths are used to catch insects, there is an ancient superstition that the birds use them to suck the teats of goats under the cloak of darkness. Therefore, you will also hear these birds referred to as goatsuckers. Needless to say, these birds don’t do this.
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I haven’t actually seen a Chuck-Will’s-Widow, but they are apparently about a foot long, and speckly-brown for camouflage. When I’m out walking at night, I can hear them more clearly hiding in thickets. I’ll keep looking, but until then, I will continue to drift off to sleep to their whirring calls.